Lahoma Baseball Team - 1909

Lahoma Baseball Team, 1909

The captions on the right corners of the post card read, "1909 LAHOMA OKLA." and "PHOTO BY ENRIGHT"[1].

Story

Why this postcard was in grandmother's Post Card album was a bit of a mystery since my grandparents did not move from Nebraska to Lahoma, Oklahoma until 1910.

On closer examination, the third man from the left does look somewhat like my grandfather's brother, Gustav "Gus" Brunken.  Gus had purchased land near Lahoma prior to 1910 as he was living on a farm that he owned (had a mortgage) in Meno Township, Major County, Oklahoma according to the US 1910 Census.

In 1909, there were also several Brunkens in Nebraska  playing on a baseball team - possibly they were relatives of "Gus".

This newspaper clipping was shared by Laurel Brunken who cautioned "I am not sure if these Brunkens are even related. I have not seen any first names. I am only guessing since it was published in the Columbus Journal 1909."

I have subsequently found the following article in The Columbus Journal, (Columbus, Neb.)  April 28, 1909, page 1:

The Brunken baseball players on the Short Creek[2] Athletes team appear to be Gus's younger brothers in the following lineup:

• "H. Brunken, first base" - Henry Fredrich Brunken, age 26.
• "E. Brunken, center field" - either Emil Herman Brunken, age 17 or Edward Walter Brunken, age 16.
• "O. Brunken, catcher" - Otto Brunken, age 19.
• "C. Brunken, pitcher" - Charles Henry Brunken, age 24.

Gus was age 28 at this time.

Gus had moved to Oklahoma the preceding year - The Columbus Journal. (Columbus, Neb.) February 05, 1908, page 1, contains the note:

Location

Lahoma, Oklahoma

Date

1909

Notes

1. Barney P. Enright's biography provides interesting insights about the photographer who took this picture. http://www.cherokee-strip-museum.org/Enright/bpEnright.htm
2. "Short Creek" is the name of the small stream that runs through the John Dietrich Brunken (Gus's father) farm near Platte Center, Nebraska.